One in five Windows installs is non-genuine

This figure does not include those who realise that their pirated copy of Windows will not pass muster and don't use WGA.

According to BetaNews, since WGA launched in July 2005, over 512 million users have attempted to validate their copy of Windows and 22.3 percent have been bogus.

Microsoft says that that by helping users discover that their Windows copy was counterfeit, WGA would result in punters opting to become legal or report the bogus software.

In fact there had only been 56,000 reports have been made by customers of counterfeit software. µ